Clams And Pork À Alentejana

Clams and Pork à Alentejana

Serves 3-4

A recipe from the Alentejo region (the Algarve’s interior neighbour). Non-meat eaters can leave out the pork, insread doubling-up on the clams. This is traditionally served with boiled potatoes but is also great with rice or good bread.

Ingredients

• 700g/1lb 8ozs Amandes de Mer clams, well cleaned
• 500g/1lb of pork shoulder cut into cubes
• 100ml/7tbs dry white wine
• 1 heaped tsp smoked sweet paprika (or ordinary paprika)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cloves
• 3 cloves of garlic crushed
• 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 2 onions sliced
• 4 tinned tomatoes chopped
• 1 small handful each of chopped coriander & parsley leaves
• 1 lemon cut into wedges
• sea salt and pepper

Method

1. In a bowl mix the wine, paprika, bay leaves, the cloves, two of the garlic cloves and 1tbsp of the oil with a pinch of sea salt and several grindings of pepper, then add the pork.
2. Leave to marinate for at least 2 hours or longer if possible.
3. Drain the meat, reserving the marinade, and pat dry with kitchen towel.
4. Heat the remaining oil and brown the meat on all sides then remove from the pan, reserving the oil and set aside.
5. Add to the pan the onions, the remaining garlic clove and the tomatoes and cook gently until the onions are soft.
6. Put the meat back in together with the reserved marinade and cook gently with the lid on for around 1 hour or until the meat is tender.
7. Add the clams and cook on a fairly high heat, stirring occasionally, for around 4 minutes.
8. Stir in the coriander and parsley, check the seasoning and serve with the lemon.